Staring at the Stars
by erasableprism
Summary: Abigail Beckett was British student touring American universities when the infection broke out. In the 20 years since, she's resorted to cheap tricks and thievery to survive. She strikes a deal with Marlene - smuggle the chatty red-headed girl out of Boston, get a working plane. But when she crosses paths with two dangerous smugglers, everything goes wrong. Rated T for now.
1. prologue

**A/N:** I just finished The Last of Us. Amazing game, amazing characters amazing story and of course I wanted to write something for it. I'm adding an OC, as I usually do for my fanfics (published or otherwise). I hope you guys enjoy this and let me know what you think!

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><p><strong>prologue<strong>

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><p>"I can't see her Paul, did you press the button?"<p>

"Yes, I pressed the damn button. She's right there!"

Her father was holding his iPad on his stomach, angling the camera up at his chin. He hadn't shaved in a few days from the looks of it, which surprised Abigail. It was usually a part of his morning ritual, save for his moustache. The moustache he'd had since he was old enough to grow it. She remembered he'd shaved it once a few years before and she had barely recognised him when she'd come home from school.

"Dad-"

"No the button on the left, Paul."

"That's the hang up button, do you want me to hang up on our daughter?"

"Dad-"

"Well I can't see-"

"DAD!"

They both stopped arguing and though Abigail could only see her father's chest and neck though they had both gone silent. "Dad... just hold the damn iPad a bit higher, all I'm getting right now is a great shot of your man boobs." He obliged, and slowly the camera lifted and she saw her parents faces, her mother's head resting on her fathers shoulder. They were both wearing their glasses, her mothers blonde hair looked frizzy and undone. She had forgotten it was only six o'clock in the morning back home.

"Oh there she is, hello Abigail darling, you look beautiful." Her mothers smile was so sweet, crows feet gathering creased by her eyes.

"Hey, mum. Dad." She smiled and nodded. Every time she saw her parents together, she got a little sad. She never missed home, she only ever missed being with her parents. She'd be home in three weeks, and she knew the first thing she would do would be tackling her dog with hugs and dragging her parents out to her favourite indie vegan burger bar. She'd drive, of course. How she missed driving on the **correct** side of the road.

"Hi, love." Paul twitched his moustache, the last hint of his natural brown slowly fading to a dark grey.

"Where's Jordan?" Abigail asked, eager to see her ginger twin brother. Paul rolled his eyes. "Off with his friend. He's excited about the move back to Perth."

"I'm sure he is. Now I can visit you guys _twice_ a year as opposed to every chance I bloody get."

Paul smirked at his daughter. "You just smell that bad, my love." Her mother was Australian, from a small town in the biggest state. They'd lived in Perth for a few years when Abigail was younger, though England was where she'd grown up.

Marie chuckled and brushed back some hair that was falling in to her eyes before resting her head back on her husband's shoulder. "So what did you think of Columbia?"

Abigail pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose with her index finger. Her eyes glazed over on the duvet of her bed and she chewed on her lip slightly before taking a deep breath in.

"It was nice. The campus was beautiful. But-"

"But what?"

"I really like NYU. And Greenwich Village is-"

"If you go to Columbia you can do medicine, hun. It might not be the best place to study it, but it's more prestigious than NYU."

Abigail had never intended to fall in love with New York City. In fact, going there, she was adamant that she would hate it. She hated people, she hated noise. New York City was a shit tonne of people and a shit tonne of noise. But there was something about it, something that had put her under its spell. She wanted to study Drama, if she was honest. But it was something her parents would never accept.

Now she was stuck in Boston, visiting some cousins before heading up to Toronto to visit some universities there.

"Yeah. Sure." It was easier than arguing with them. She'd have plenty of time to do that when she got home.

"How's Robyn and Alex?" Abigail's eyes flickered to her door as she heard the television in the next room being turned on. _Great, _she thought. _It's so fucking loud._

"Good."

"Robyn must be fifteen now, huh? Gosh they grow fast." Marie giggled, looking at her husband. "Make's me feel so old!" Abigail smirked and pulled down at her hoodie's sleeves, gripping them in her fingers. "Might I remind you your twins are thirty seven years younger than you?"

They all laughed for a moment before there was a loud rasp on Abigail's bedroom door. "Okay guys, I've got to go for a bit. I'll talk to you later."

"Love you sweetheart."

"I love you too, you losers."

She closed the lid of her laptop and pulled her bed covers from over her and leant out of her bed, sluggishly making her way over to the door. It was only six in the evening, but Abigail was already intent on spending her night in bed. Call her old fashioned, but she wasn't interested in making niceties with her cousin's friends and going out to those parties you see American teenagers have in the movies, with those plastic red cups.

Abigail unlocked the door, and at the sound of the click, her cousin pushed the door open abruptly. "Abigail get your shit, city's being evacuated." She looked distressed, wisps of her blonde hair falling from the bun she had tied on the top of her head.

"What?"

Robyn gestured to the TV behind her before darting in to the guest room, taking the huge sixty-litre backpack that had everything Abigail had brought to the United States, aside from her laptop and phone. She took a step towards the TV, entranced by what was on the screen. She could hear women screaming overtop of the reporter, footage of a man running up to another and jumping on him, clawing at his face. Plastered along the bottom of the screen were the words "Virus sending citizens into a craze."

"Oh, Christ." She whispered, turning to help her cousin with her bag. "You go put this in the car, I'll get your father and Alex okay? Be as quick as you can, grab some food from the kitchen and any first aid stuff you have lying around. If evacuation zones are anything like they are in the movies, we're going to need it."

Robyn nodded and darted down the stairs, her footsteps heavy all the way down. Abigail pushed her hair out of her face and ran to her uncle's room, pushing open the door as she did. She was almost disgusted by the idea of what she'd fine. Would this be the day the crack head had finally choked on his own vomit?"Simon, we have to go." She looked around briefly, but the room was empty. Gone. Of course he was. _Fucking wanker. But a wanker with a… _Abigail rushed open to his bedside table, flinging it open in a panic. _A wanker without a gun._ She didn't know much about guns, being that it guns were controlled in both countries she came from, but she knew how to aim and shoot, and hopefully that would be enough.

Alex.

She sprinted downstairs, her footsteps seemingly heavier than her cousin's despite her slender frame. "Alex? Alex we're evacuating." She looked over to the kitchen and saw Robyn brushing cans of food in to a giant rubbish bag, nodding to her older cousin. "Alex?" Abigail wasted no time knocking on the door, instead rushing straight in.

Alex stood in the middle of his room, with no lights on. _Oh, god. Creepy. If this were a horror movie I should probably close the door and bloody run._

"…Alex?"

"Abby…" _Oh thank god. Not a crazy virus person. _"Alex, grab a backpack and shove a phone in there and some clothes, okay? Then get to the car, we have to evacuate."

"Yeah, okay. But Abby…" Abigail had already turned to help her cousin in the kitchen, but she whisked her head back around when Alex spoke up. "Yeah?"

"Dad bit my arm. Why'd he bite my arm?"

"Alex, hun, I know he's your father but he's a fucking wanker. I'll take a look at it when we get to the evacuation zone, alright?"

"Alright."


	2. one

**A/N:** Just setting up the story and I had written this along with the prologue and I felt like posting it. I hope you like Abigail, I don't usually have my OC's be over the age of twenty seven but I'm liking the idea of Abigail having been a normal teenager by herself when the world wet to shit, and becoming a hardened woman who'll never truly forget about home. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

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><p><strong>one<strong>

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><p><em>twenty years later<em>

"I'm not a fucking smuggler, Marlene."

Abigail threw her pack on to the table between the two women, her eyes narrowing as she held the Firefly leader's gaze. "And I'm not a fucking Firefly." She paced slowly, her eyes scrutinising the woman in front of her. "What makes you think I'll join your merry band of outlaws and help you save mankind?"

Marlene was sitting back in her chair, her arm draped around it in such a smug fashion. Abigail had a large deal of respect for Marlene, as a woman. She was strong, smart and had authority. It was too bad she used them for such a heretic cause.

"Because you're not from around here."

Abigail stopped dead in her tracks and spun around, a wild smile spreading on her face. She placed her hands on the back of a chair on her side of the table, her eyes wide. "I'm not? Bloody hell, I didn't have the faintest idea." Her expression dimmed and she pushed the chair, cursing under her breath. "No shit. If I hear that from you yanks one more bloody time-"

"I can get you a plane."

She turned around, eyeing Marlene carefully. Marlene's expression didn't give away any signs of a bluff. Her expression was challenging Abigail's own, the two women in a staring death-match of sorts. Abigail brought a hand to her neck and pulled her waist-length hair to one side.

"Why would I want a fucking plane?"

"Don't act dumb, Beckett. We all have family. And yours was in another country when all of this shit went down. Look me in the eyes and tell me you haven't always been curious about what happened to them? If they're still alive?"

Abigail turned around, walking in to the kitchen behind her. Marlene was a cunning son of a bitch, she knew that much. All Abigail had wanted since that day in Boston was to go home. To see her parents. The flights had all stopped, and she was stuck in a foreign country with only her younger cousins. "I don't have family. Not anymore."

"Patrick told me your mother was Australian-"

"Patrick should learn to shut his goddamn mouth."

Marlene chuckled, dropping her arm from the chair as her eyes traced Abigail who had started rummaging through the kitchen. "Oof. A bit of bad blood there, Beckett? From what I heard, it was you breaking Patrick's heart."

"Shut up, Marlene."

Abigail slammed shut a cupboard door with her knee before leaning over the island in the middle of the kitchen. "What's so special about the girl? She's feisty, I'll give her that, but why should I put my life on the line for a fourteen year old who swears like a bloody sailor?"

Marlene pushed herself off the chair, making her way over to the kitchen. "You're right, she might even curse more than you do." She stood over the marble island, resting a hand on its dusty surface, tracing it aimlessly. "She has the cure for infection, Beckett. Is that not reason enough?" Abigail pressed herself up and crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. _No, it's not fucking enough._ Marlene sighed, and paced to a half-boarded up window.

"She's infected. Bitten three weeks ago."

Abigail rolled her eyes, laughing blatantly at Marlene. "Bullshit. Three weeks and you're almost halfway to being a clicker."

Marlene completely ignored Abigail's exaggeration. "She's immune."

"And I'm Oprah."

Marlene smirked, one of the few hundreds of people alive who actually could remember Oprah, Abigail thought.

"Look I shouldn't even be telling you this shit, but you're the sneakiest person I know. You're the best thief I've met, so damn good that the people have starting nicknaming you. You're Raven to them, you know that? Like an apocalyptic Robin fuckin' Hood." Marlene sighed and swept back a curly strand of her black hair.

Abigail smirked, rubbing her chin as she remembered the first time she'd heard the nickname. "Yeah, I know." Abigail had never actually told anyone in the quarantine zone her first name. Not even Patrick. She'd always gone by Beckett. She liked it that way. No one truly knew her. No one was close. Not even Patrick.

"I need you to get me and the girl out of the city, quietly. They're cracking down on my people, Beckett. We aren't safe. Once we're clear of the city I'll get you a damn plane and a pilot, you'll get to go home." Marlene gazed out of the window at the afternoon sun, sighing. "You're anonymous. No-one really knows who you are. You can get in and out of anywhere unnoticed. That's what I need."

Abigail took a few steps towards the dining table, slinging her pack over her shoulders and taking her trusty compound bow she had leant against the wall. "It's true. You Fireflies are a dying breed."

"So you'll do it?"

Abigail hissed, stepping towards Marlene and pointing a scrutinising finger in her face. "Let's get one thing straight, Marlene. I don't give a shit about your pathetic resistance. I don't give a shit about saving the fucking world. Hey, maybe this is the way it's meant to be, human's are pretty damn good at fucking everything up. But I've wanted to get off this shitstain of a continent for twenty fucking years now." Abigail kicked a chair near her in to the table before looking back at Marlene.

"I'll get you two where you need to go. That's all I can give you."

"And that's all I need. Thank you, Beckett." Abigail rolled her eyes and made her way to the door.

A gunshot fired, and instinctively they both dropped to the floor. Abigail pulled out a pistol from her holster at her hips and her eyes shot back to Marlene, reaching for her own. "You said this was a safe fucking area. You said Robert had it covered."

"Don't be so naïve, Beckett. Do you really think anywhere is safe anymore?" Marlene sighed and indicted towards the door. "Look, I don't care for arguing with you right now. I'll go check it out, you go back to Ellie. She should be in the kitchens still, with Ethan. I'll meet you two there soon."

Abigail nodded, and quietly made her way to the window as quiet as she had ever been.


	3. two

**A/N: **Hope you guys enjoy this one. Things are about to get started... :) For reference Beckett is 5'5 and 36 years old. I had a few messages about age seeing as this is set in 2033. Leave a review to let me know what you think!

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><p><strong>two<strong>

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><p>"Sssh, Ellie. Stay in the corner." Beckett pushed the girl with her little knife behind her, drawing out her own knife she had strapped to the inside of her boot. She crouched and her heart was racing as she heard footsteps and muffled voices. The door burst open, and Marlene fell to the floor, a tall and rugged-looking older man coming in behind her. "Whoa-whoa-whoa, come on now. Get on up." He was huge, at least a foot taller than her. But filing in after him was another woman, pale and brunette. She was taller than Beckett too, but she took her chances. She leapt, gripping the woman by the neck firmly and holding her knife in the other hand.<p>

"Get the fuck away from her!" Ellie yelled, lunging forward to the man with her knife. He gripped her wrist and stared her down. "Damn it, Ellie, I told you to stay back!" The man glared at Beckett and clenched his fist. She recognised this man. "Don't you fucking touch me!" The woman spat, writhing in Beckett's grip. "…Tess?"

"Let her go." Marlene grimaced, staring Beckett in the eyes. Beckett looked back and forth between the man and Marlene hesitantly, before loosening her grip and lowering her knife. Tess backed off, turning around to face her attacker. She scoffed at the shorter woman, turning deceptively before raising her first and swinging at her. Beckett followed the blow, hand shooting up to cup her face. Tess spat and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Beckett. Didn't think I'd be seeing you with the Fireflies."

"I'm not a fucking Firefly."

The man let go of Ellie's wrist and she glared at him momentarily before making her way to Marlene. "Who's the kid?" He said. Beckett had never met him, but she'd seen him once or twice. He was Tess's partner. The Texan. "She's not one of mine, if that's what you're thinking." Marlene walked over to rest on a stool. "Shit, what happened?" Ellie followed Marlene, but she had no idea how she could help. "Don't worry, it'll heal." She nodded towards the new arrivals. "I got help."

Beckett put her knife back in her boot and rested against the wall, eyeing up Tess and her partner.

"But I can't come with you."

Her eyes instantly shot over to Marlene. "Hold the fuck up, that wasn't a part of the deal." She stood up from the wall, her eyes fiery. "You said it would be the three of us." Marlene's eyes fought Beckett's fire with her own, without hesitating she spat back. "Well now it's four." Ellie hadn't even turned to look at Beckett, her eyes fixated on Marlene's bleeding abdomen and brows furrowed in concern. "I'm not leaving you."

"Ellie. We won't get another shot at this."

The man looked over, as if something had clicked. "Hey, we're smuggling the girl?"

"With a fucking cutthroat no less." Tess angrily chimed in.

Beckett took a step towards Tess, looking up at the taller woman. "Pot calling the kettle black." Tess smacked her lips and balled her hand in to a fist, her partner stepping towards them protectively.

"Hey! Cut it out." Marlene yelled. She sighed before lowering her voice. "There's a crew of Fireflies that'll meet you at the Capitol building." She winced in pain slightly as she tried to take a deeper breath. "You two might be the best damn smugglers in Boston but you aren't as quiet as Beckett."

"More people more chance of getting caught." Beckett's tone was bitter.

"You will do as I say, Beckett." Marlene's eyes were narrowed.

"How the fuck are we supposed to trust her?" Joel's eyes were narrowed accusingly at Marlene.

"You three are more than capable. If the three of you cut out this stubborn bullshit you might even work well together." Marlene gulped before continuing, the pain in her abdomen obviously worsening. "You hand her off, come back, and the weapons are yours. Double what Robert sold me. As for you, Beckett, I'll have someone escort you to what you need."

"Where are our guns?" Tess cut in. Beckett supposed she was the talker in the duo. That didn't surprise her.

"Back in our camp."

Tess scoffed before looking back at her partner. He folded his arms defensively. "We're not smuggling shit until I see them."

Marlene sighed, her eyes focusing on the tall brunette. "You can follow me. You can verify the weapons, I'll get patched up. But she's not crossing to that part of town. I want Joel to stay here with Beckett and look out for her."

"Whoa-whoa-whoa I don't think that's the best idea-"

"Bullshit! I'm not going with them! I'm not leaving you until I have to!" Ellie yelled over top of Joel, her eyes narrowed spitefully.

"Ellie…" Marlene interrupted them both. "You can't cross to that part of town. It's too risky." Ellie was clearly not satisfied, and Beckett felt mildly insulted. "How do you know these people?"

"I was close with Joel's brother, Tommy. Said if I was ever in a jam, I could rely on him."

"Was that before or after he left your little militia group?" Joel cut in. _Christ, is this a bloody soap opera or what?_

"He left you too." Marlene glared over at Joel, her eyes narrowing. "He was a good man."

Her gaze drifted to Beckett, and for once Marlene was somewhat lost for words. "I've known Beckett a long time. You can trust her."

Tess stood in front of Joel, her eyes flickering between him and Beckett. "Take her to the north tunnel, I'll meet you there."

"Jesus Christ."

"She's just cargo, Joel."

Beckett felt sorely out of place. If someone in this room died, there'd be someone else there screaming for some sort of vengeance. But not for Beckett. It made her want that damn plane all the more. She stuck her hand in to her back pocket, gripping the photos she kept in there at all times. Soon she'd find her way back.

"Marlene…" Ellie's eyes were so sad as she looked at Marlene, you could almost feel her heart dropping.

"No more talking. You'll be fine." Marlene grunted as she pushed herself up, gesturing at Joel and Beckett. "Now go with them."

Joel got close to his partner and said in a hushed tone. "Don't take long." He turned his head and raised his voice. "And you two. You stay close. Let's go."

Ellie took one last look at Marlene before backing away, following Joel. Beckett pushed herself off the wall and nodded at Marlene respectfully before following suit.

Beckett followed them out in to a courtyard littered with bodies, covered in gunshot wounds. She had heard it from inside, why should she expect anything less? Ellie taken aback, though her reaction far less dramatic than Beckett would have expected from a fourteen-year-old girl. She had asked what had happened, and Joel responded sullenly as he walked away.

"The Fireflies."

Joel quietly led them through the courtyard and underground, only just dodging out of sight as a group of army trucks drove past a fence close to them. They silently wove through alleys, with Joel occasionally muttering a quick 'C'mon.' Whenever they heard soldiers Beckett would tense – she wasn't used to being so close to soldiers. She was often observing them at a distance, but to walk a fence when them so close… it made her skin crawl, she felt nervous and she didn't trust this man.

"Where are we going?" Ellie muttered, perkier than Beckett expected. They had come to a slight opening, a small square among all of the alleys. The Texan grunted and held has hand up to motion his companions to stop before trudging along to grab a dumpster, heaving and with a bit of effort pulling it towards a fire escape near Ellie.

"Up here. It'll take us to the North tunnel." He pulled himself on top of it and climbed the ladder, which before now would have been impossible to reach. Ellie looked at Beckett questioningly, and Beckett motioned for the girl to go first. She didn't really feel like using her words.

Ellie pulled herself up, and from what it looked like it was with great difficulty. "You need help, buddy?" She groaned and pulled herself up, pushing herself to her feet. "No, I can do it." As she climbed the ladder Beckett pulled herself on to the dumpster, some of the dust escaping on to her pants. Ellie had already followed Joel further up the escape by the time Beckett had ascended the ladder.

"So… these tunnels. You use them to smuggle things?" Ellie's voice echoed through the hallway outside. The echoing prompted Beckett to move faster, taking two steps at a time to get in to the building. She slowly closed the door behind her, careful not to shut it too loudly.

"Yeah."

"Like… illegal things?"

"Sometimes."

He wasn't exactly a man of many words, then. Ellie took a second before she continued her inquisition. "You ever smuggle a kid before?"

"Nope, that's a first."

Beckett jogged down the hallway to catch up to them, and Ellie kept her head down. "You alright?" She rested a hand on her shoulder, gripping it her shoulder reassuringly. "Yeah. Fine."

"Are you a smuggler too?" Ellie's tone was innocently curious. "No." Beckett was easily ten paces ahead of them, he didn't seem remotely concerned for his travelling companions. Until he slightly turned his head, looking for them out of the corner of his eyes. "So what's the deal with you and Marlene anyway? A kid running with the Fireflies leader ain't as common as you'd think."

Not talking to Beckett, she assumed. Ellie at her for a moment, the two trying to figure out who he was talking to. Beckett nodded at Ellie, assuming he was going to inquire about this 'delivery.' "I don't know, she's my friend. I guess."

"Your friend, huh?" He chuckled, turning his head fully to actually look at the girl. "You're friends with the leader of the Fireflies? What are you, twelve?" His tone was so condescending, though Beckett could hardly blame him. Kids ran off to the Fireflies all the time, as far as he knew this job was meaningless. She'd get killed within months of joining their stupid resistance. "Leave her alone." Beckett's tone was warning, she grew tired of his mocking.

"She knew my mom, and she's been looking after me." She looked reflective before her tone became frustrated, and she bit back. "And I'm fourteen. Not that that has anything to do with… anything."

The Texan scoffed and ducked under a fallen beam, patting it so as to point it out to the people trailing behind him. "Where are your parents?"

Ellie was only a couple of inches shorter than Beckett, but she managed to walk underneath it without so much as ducking her head. Shitty question to ask a kid in this world. "Where the fuck are anyone's parents now?" Beckett spat as she followed Ellie, and assumed she would not have to move her head either. She was wrong. Very, very wrong.

"I'm talking to the girl. Not you." He hissed. He left a few seconds before continuing his interrogation. "Hm. So instead of staying in school you just run off and join the Fireflies, is that it?" He dusted off his shoulder and kept ahead, looking back briefly to check they were following. Beckett was cursing under her breath, palm of her hand pressed to her forehead. He raised an eyebrow at her and kept walking. _Wow. Beckett you are an almighty twat._

Ellie's tone became defensive, clearly catching on to what he was trying to do. "I'm not going to tell you why you're smuggling me, if that's what you're getting at." _Smart girl._

He laughed at her, brushing her off. "Know the best part about my job? I don't got to know why. Be honest with you, I could give two shits about what you're up to."

"Well great."

"Good."

He stopped walking, muttering under his breath. "This is it." He shouldered the door on his right, putting weight behind it before it opened in to an old apartment room from the looks. A couch lay in the middle of the room and a chair by the window. It seemed as though it was a regular haunt for smugglers. Joel held the door open for Ellie and Beckett, the two trailing in after him.

Beckett unslung her bow and pack and placed them against the wall. Joel had made his way to the couch, taking his pack off and already making himself comfortable. Ellie looked confused, she stood around and paced back and forth looking at her escorts. "What am I supposed to do?"

Beckett untied her long mousy brown hair and smirked at the girl. "Well we're waiting for Tess, so I would suggest making yourself comfortable." She glanced over at Joel to make her point. "Seems like someone already has." Ellie sighed and trailed over to the armchair, placing her pack by her feet. Beckett followed suit, sitting down and pulling out a book and slightly scratched reading glasses from her pack. She plucked her contact lenses from her eyes and placed them in to a small repurposed Tic Tac container.

Hours passed, the sun set. Beckett hadn't had a wink of sleep, though Ellie and Joel had both all but passed out as soon as they had sat down. Joel did not sleep comfortably, though. He tossed and turned, his breathing was laboured. Beckett scoffed, isn't that how everyone slept these days? God knows it takes a lot to survive in this world.

He startled himself awake, his eyes shot open and hands gripping the couch. Beckett looked up from her book at the sound, switching off the torch she had been using for light. "Bad dream?"

Joel grumbled and sat up, hanging his head between his knees. "Yeah." His voice was hoarse and tired, and Beckett pulled her water from beside her and threw it at him as he looked up. He caught it, nodding his thanks. "How long have I been out?" He asked, before taking a few sips of the water.

"Few hours." Beckett looked outside and nodded at Ellie. "She's out like a light."

Joel looked at her and nodded solemnly before throwing the water back. _Christ, is he always this brooding? _She slid her water back in to her backpack and switched her torch back on, looking back to her book, resuming the silence.

"You don't come across many foreigners these days."

Beckett didn't look up from her book as she turned the page of her book, not paying him any mind. "Don't you?." Her tone was sarcastic and mildly uninterested. If she had a penny for every time an American had pointed out she were foreign… well. She'd have a lot of penny's.

He ignored her sarcasm. "Must take some guts to survive two decades in these kind of conditions in a country you don't really know."

Beckett huffed and turned off her torch and closed her book, looking up at Joel. "Took a hell of a lot of fear." She hissed. These days it didn't take much to set her off.

She opened her pack and placed her belongings back inside, though she could still feel his eyes on her. "How long have you been in Boston?"

"I was here during the outbreak. I've been moving around but… well this is one of the more secure QZ's." She furrowed her brows as she looked at him. "Is it customary of you to grill everyone you meet?"

"Not everyone." _God, he is so smug. _"What was your name? Beckett? I ain't ever heard of a Beckett."

"I'd be disappointed if you had heard of me." She muttered, leaning back and resting her head against the wall.

"How'd you know Tess?" He asked, swinging his legs back up on to the couch.

"We've crossed paths once or twice. I've given helped her acquire some goods she needed to acquire. She's supplied me with medicine, and enough contact lenses and glasses frames to last me a lifetime.

"Ah…"

Beckett looked up at him, raising her eyebrow ever so slightly. "You're her partner?"

He nodded at her. "Business partner." His tone was gruff, voice laced with his Southern drawl.

Beckett's eyebrow's raised suggestively. "Just business?"

He glared at her, eyes intense. "No, it ain't like that."

"What is it like?" Beckett smiled at him, knowing she was getting under his skin. He crinkled his nose in frustration, eyebrows drawing closer together.

"It's like none of your damn business, girl."

Beckett mocked a gasp, almost laughing out loud. "Someone's touchy." She always was one to get a rise out of others.

Joel looked almost outraged, his cheeks slightly flushed. "I ain't-" He huffed, Beckett assumed he was conceding defeat." "I see what you're doing. Cut it out."

She pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, smirk slowly spreading. "I'm not doing anything." Her tone was impersonating innocence, though her expression said something else entirely.

He waved her off, he had been beaten at his own game. "What are you doing running with the Fireflies, then? Way you talked to Marlene about a deal you can't be one of them."

"I'm not."

"So what are you doing here?"

Her smile dimmed, eyes losing the spark she got when she grinned. She looked up at him with a ferocity laced with sadness. "Marlene has offered me something worth my troubles." She perked up slightly, but her eyes were still intense. "But in your business, you don't need to know that."

"I don't think the rule applies for partners." He grumbled.

Her eyebrow raised as she looked at him accusingly. "Is that what we are? Partners?"

It was silent between them for a moment, tension building between the two. Beckett didn't play nice with others, nowadays. She'd been alone for so long, it was hard not to be hostile. Almost like a coping mechanism. Patrick thought he had gotten close. Thought he was the one to break Ice Queen Beckett down and figure her out. She had used him for what she needed and left him, and that was that.

There was silence for a moment between them, before the gruff Texan sighed and shrugged her off. "I suggest you ready your shit, girl. Make sure you're ready for this. Tess will be here soon."

"Whatever you say, _partner._"


	4. three

**A/N:** So I have been very busy travelling and volunteering in Cambodia that I haven't had the time (until the last two days) to sit down and write out a chapter. It's a short one, and I hope you all enjoy it. Updates should be regular after I get home on the 18th of November. Please review to let me know what you think!

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><p><strong>four<strong>

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><p>Tess had burst into the room after Beckett had what felt like two minutes of sleep, saying she'd seen the cargo and that it was all legitimate. They'd woken Ellie up and left not long after, sneaking through hidden passageways and tunnels until they had made it outside. The ground was wet and air moist; Abigail's boots were laced with thick mud, occasionally flicking it up the back of her legs as she walked. The four of them walked in silence, Joel leading the way. It felt like they were wading through a junkyard, wrecked cars were tangled in vines and rust as the earth claimed them. The tension between the lot of them was almost palpable.<p>

"What was England like?" Ellie piped up, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "You know, before the infection broke out." Abigail was taken aback. What was England like? It had been twenty-one years since she had been home. She smirked fondly at the memories that surfaced in her mind. She pointed up at the grey and dreary sky. "Much the same as this. Cold, grey and wet."

"That sounds depressing." The girl was quite blunt. It was refreshing, considering the people and business Abigail associated with. Always 'reading between the lines.'

"Well, it is. But it's home." She fingered the string of her bow that was slung over her shoulders.

"Soo… why were you here during the outbreak?" She chuckled slightly and looked up at Abigail with her emerald eyes. "I'm sorry, you probably get this a lot. I've just never met someone who isn't from here before."

Abigail chuckled and pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "I do." She couldn't remember the last time she'd had such a friendly exchange. "Well I was here to look at universities. I wanted a change of scenery."

"You most certainly got it." Tess chimed in from behind them, sighing.

Abigail's smile faded as her face fell back to an expression as stern as she always had. "Yeah. Well."

Ellie pursed her lips as she looked over at the older woman, studying her face. God only knows what she'd seen in the last twenty years.

"So... what were you going to study? At university, I mean."

And suddenly she felt like she was back in her cousin's guest room in Boston, sat in front of her laptop in her comfy 'Australia' hoodie and skyping her parents. "My parents were adamant I study medicine, I had my first aid certificate and everything and I would've been the first doctor in my family."

"But you didn't want to?" Ellie's eyes were curious, it had been a long time since someone had genuinely wanted to listen to what Abigail had to say. Hell, it had been months since she had last talked about herself.

"I wanted to study engineering. Maybe chemical, maybe mechanical. I like science."

Ellie's mouth opened slightly and her eyes lit up. "Woah, that's fuckin' cool."

"Up here." Joel mumbled as they reached a tipped over truck. Ellie climbed up in to it after him, Abigail smiling as she followed her. And suddenly Joel was on the ground, a heavily armed woman standing over him with what looked like a rifle. A man's voice came from behind Tess.

"Don't do anything stupid." The woman muttered, gun pointed square at Ellie's head. Abigail put her arms up, nudging Ellie to do the same. _Fuck._

"Move."

Tess pushed against Abigail, forcing the three women out of the truck and lining them up next to Joel. Abigail found herself between Joel and Ellie. "Turn around. On your knees." They all obliged, dropping to their knees.

"You scan them, I'll call it in."

_Oh, fuck. _The man nodded, gun pointed on Tess. "Put your hands on your head. All of you." He made his way behind Tess, pulling out the scanner from his belt. Abigail's heart was pounding – she'd never been caught before. The woman was calling for pickup while Tess tried to bribe the man. "If you look the other way, I'll make it worth your while."

"Shut up."

He stuck the scanner to the back of her neck, waiting for the all clear. It beeped it's confirmation, and he moved on to Joel. Abigail's mind started racing, her dagger was strapped to her boot. If she could move fast enough...

Her thoughts silenced themselves as the man pressed the cold scanner to her neck. She took a deep breath, eyes trained on her knees.

_Beep beep._

He took it away, taking the step towards Ellie. Abigail could hear her muttering under her breath, panicking. It was pressed against her neck, she couldn't wait for the beep.

And in one swift, fluid movement, Abigail grabbed the dagger at her boot and swung around, stabbing the man in his knee before using the knife to pull herself up. She took back her dagger and sliced it across his neck, a spray of blood hitting her in the face. The woman turned around and fumbled, training her gun on Abigail. She used the man's body as a shield and pushed forward.

_One shot._

_Two shots._

_Three and four._

Tess was perched on the ground, gun trained at the woman's head. She fell, and Abigail dropped her partner simultaneously. Her eyes met Tess's, and they both nodded at each other. Abigail slid her dagger back in to her boot and turned to Ellie, who had pressed herself up against a crate behind her.

"Fuck!"

Abigail made her way to her, kneeling in front of the girl. "You 'right, kid?" She was shaking, her eyes were wide as they studied the two bodies nearby. "Jesus Christ, I didn't think we'd actually.." Abigail sighed as her eyes followed Ellie's, dropping her head. "There was only one way out of that."

"Oh, shit. Joel, look at this." Tess's tone was dark. She threw something to Joel, and she cursed at herself after the sound that it made when he caught it. _Why didn't I fucking grab it?_

She turned around, pressing herself up as Joel's face grew grimmer than usual. "Jesus Christ." He looked around, only glancing at Ellie. "Marlene set us up?" Tess shrugged, her eyebrows almost meeting. Joel's eyes trained themselves back upon Ellie. "Why the hell are we smuggling an infected girl?"

Abigail crossed her arms, standing in front of Ellie. Joel's face morphed in to one of anger, his brows creased in frustration. "You knew?" Abigail was unmoving. Joel threw the scanner on the ground and turned around, running a hand threw his hair. Tess pulled her gun on the other woman, glaring at her. "You fucking set us up."

"Why the fuck would I set you up, Tess? What would I have to gain from this?" Abigail stared down the other woman, taking a step closer. She respected Tess, but if she had to kill her and her broody Texan partner to get out of this, she would do it in a heartbeat. _Get to the fucking plane. That's all you need to do._

"I'm not infected!" Ellie cried, her face painted with fear.

"No?" Joel spun around, almost frothing at the mouth. "So this was lying?"

"I can explain!"

Tess gripped her gun tighter, and threateningly held it near Ellie. "Oh yeah? You better explain fast."

Abigail uncrossed her arms, eyeing Tess's gun. "She was bitten three weeks ago. She's immune."

"Bullshit. Everyone turns within two days."

"It's three weeks!" Ellie exclaimed. Abigail glanced down at Ellie's arm, she had pulled her shirt back up her arm, exposing the bite. It was the second time she'd properly seen it. "Bites look ten times worse than that after three hours, Tess. You've seen it."

"It's three weeks, I swear." Ellie's eyes flickered between Joel and Tess. "Why would she set you up?"

Joel looked to the ground and glanced at his partner as the two of them took it all in. He hissed and shook his head, turning around. "I ain't buyin' it."

Tess took a threatening step forward, her face screwing up as she glared down the other woman in front of her. "I should have known this was some shady shit the second I saw your skinny thieving ass."

"Oh shit."

Abigail looked over at Joel, staring in to the distance. And then she saw the lights.

The pick up.

"Tess, run." He mumbled under his breath. His hand grazed hers before he almost leapt away. "Run!"

"Go! Go! Move!" Tess tapped Abigail's shoulder as the younger woman grabbed Ellie's hand and pulled her to her feet, running behind the two smugglers.

The four of them leapt into a crevice, narrowly escaping the light as the van pulled up. Abigail could hear them discovering the bodies and calling it in. They had to be fast. Joel and Tess ducked under a wreckage, muttering constant prompts to move faster. Abigail pushed Ellie in front of her and rested a hand on her back, guiding her through the chaos. They hid behind what Abigail assumed was once a shipping container, Tess whispering that she would give them the signal to run. And then they ran, avoiding the light from countless torches that the soldiers held. The alarm sounded, droning on in the background. She barely noticed, instead the group slipped around corners and averted the watchful eyes of soldiers, perched much higher than they and guns drawn. The further they went it seemed the more soldiers there were, and Abigail drew her dagger from her boot once more.

They made it to a garage and Joel pulled on the chains, his female companions all sliding under it. But Abigail still heard orders being barked - they were everywhere. They ran ahead, sometimes taking turns whenever the light got too close to catching them. They ran under more wrecks, crawling through old sewer tunnels.

And then finally, it was quiet. All that sounded in the air around them was their heavy breaths and some dripping of water in the sewers. Abigail was behind Joel, Ellie right on her tail. He pushed through the sewer and made to stand up, only for the light of a torch to narrowly miss them. He was too slow, she reached out and grabbed him, pulling him back in to the tunnel as more orders were being barked. Something about them returning to the wall. She could feel how rapidly Joel's heart was beating, his shirt soaked with rain and sweat. Ellie choked back her nerves, her breathing hot on Abigail's neck.

A car door slammed, and Abigail pushed Joel back up and gestured for him to keep going. They sprinted for the tunnels ahead, Joel whispering that he thought there was a way out from there. The broke in to the tunnel and waded through knee-deep water, the last lot of soldiers leaving was audible from above. Joel pushed open the sewer gate and the group broke though. It was finally quiet. Only the rain was audible, it was over.

But then there was the issue of the girl.

"Alright, they're gone." Joel murmured, his eyes looking above for any signs of their attackers. Abigail perched herself on a rock nearby, restrapping her dagger to her boot and pulling out some bread from her pack. Ellie sat next to her, dropping her head in her hands.

"What was the plan? Let's say we deliver you to the Fireflies, what happens next?" Tess came to a crouch next to Ellie, her tone much less aggressive than it had been before they had made their escape.

"Marlene said they had their own little quarantine zone. With doctors there still trying to find a cure."

Joel scoffed from behind Tess. "Oh yeah, we've heard that before, ain't we Tess?" Abigail glowered from her perch.

Ellie sighed. "And that.. whatever happened to me is the key for finding a vaccine."

"Oh, Jesus." He turned from them, shaking his head in disbelief.

"That's what she said."

"Oh, I'm sure she did."

Abigail swallowed back a bite of bread. "Leave her alone, mate. She didn't ask for any of this shit." He scoffed at her, widening his jaw and taking a step toward her. "What, you believe this shit? You been round 'long as I have, you know what it's like out here. There ain't a goddamn cure." Abigail pushed her glasses up her nose, somewhat impressed that she hadn't lost them in the chaos. "I believe this is a job. And I _always_ finish the job."

He rolled his eyes and stepped towards Tess. "Tess, what the hell are we doing here?"

"What if it's true?" His companion almost instantaneously remarked.

"I can't-" He huffed, throwing his arms up in disbelief.

"What if, Joel? I mean we've come this far, let's just finish it." He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away from the other two. "Do I need to remind you what is out there?"

Tess looked back at them. She had made her decision.

"I get it."

Abigail pushed herself off of the rock and followed Tess as she started walking, taking a rather large bite of her bread and raising her eyebrows at Joel as she walked past him.

_Asshole._


End file.
